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New Birth’s Eddie Long says he’s recovering from a “health challenge”

New Birth Missionary Baptist Church’s senior pastor Eddie L. Long said in a statement released by the church that he was recovering from a “health challenge” but did not release any specifics.

Speculation has been rampant about the Lithonia pastor’s health since he recently posted a video showing a much-leaner physique.

He said he was eating a raw vegan diet and giving up on a “slave menu”.

He said he trusts “God to deliver me from” from the challenge.

“It is unrelated to the eating for life diet consisting of mostly raw vegetables that I am continuing, as part of a holistic approach to good health. At this time my family and I are requesting that you respect our privacy.”

He said he appreciates the prayers and support for him, his loved ones and church family.

In the video the megachurch pastor was seen working out and said he had fielded questions from concerned members of his church asking about his dramatic weight loss. Not long ago, Long appeared on the Steve Harvey Show to promote his new book.

He showed little of the big weight loss that was evident on the latest video.

The video went viral and social media weighing in on his health.

“People are asking, ‘Bishop, what happened to all of you?’” he says in the video, posted to his public Facebook page. “Well, all of me has melted away,” he said, drawing out the word melted.

He said he wanted to live to be 100 years old and then some.

“I’m on the medicine that God gave you to feed your immune system to build you up,” he says in the clip. “You know what, if you really want to move through this world and have influence you gotta be spiritual and you have to walk by His commandments and you have to be healthy.”